Vertical pump dishwasher



Oct. 22, 1968 PERL 3,406,637

VERTICAL PUMP DISHWASHER Filed May 23, 1967 I C? l, I 30 I 28 9 mm} iii Ill 5 62 INVENTOR RICHARD L. PERL BY 6%,M M 4m ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,406,637 VERTICAL PUMP DISHWASHER Richard L. Perl, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Tappan Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 23, 1967, Ser. No. 640,537 Claims. (Cl. 103-218) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The mounting for a motor-pump combination in a vertical pump dishwasher consisting of an annular gasket for retaining the combination in position and for sealin g in a vibration-proof environment, wherein the gasket has depending projections with retaining nuts embedded therein which cooperate with mounting bolts to secure the combination in position.

This invention relates to a new and improved mounting arrangement for the motor and pump assembly in a vertical pump dishwasher wherein the combination may be completely assembled from within the chamber of the dishwasher and wherein a metal-t-o-metal contact with the chamber housing is avoided to eliminate objectional vibrations.

Vertical pump-type dishwashers are commonly employed in this field to provide a dishwasher of superior design which eliminates the necessity for using hoses and mechanical connections for filtering and recirculating the water and for rotating the spray arm. This type of dish- Washer provides a central sump region directly below the spray arm where Water and solid matter from the soiled dishware collect and this region is readily available to the ports of the pump unit which are submerged therein. It is common practice to provide screens, filters and the like for separating waste material from the water to be recirculated and to provide various channels for directing and/ or collecting this material. A problem inherent in this type of machine is that much apparatus including the filters, screens, pump and motor must be positioned in a rather confined space in the bottom panel of the dishwasher chamber. Another problem is that th complete assembly is subject to much vibration and adequate sealing means must be provided to contend with this vibration over the life of the dishwasher. In the past, it has been common to mount such a motor and pump assembly directly to the bottom panel of the dishwasher chamber using conventional gaskets therebetween primarily for sealing purposes and it is known in this arrangement that a substantial amount of the vibration of the combination is transmitted directly to the dishwasher itself by the mounting means creating sealing problems and causing a high noise level of operation.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved mounting arrangement for the motor and pump assembly in a vertical pump dishwasher wherein there is an increased effectiveness of sealing of the gasket.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved gasket mount for vertical pump dishwashers which eliminates metal-to-metal contact between the pump and motorassembly and the panel of the dishwasher enclosure thereby minimizing the transmission of vibrations.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved gasket for a vertical pump dishwasher which has the retaining means embedded in the gasket material and which provides improved ease of assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter 3,406,637 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 "ice fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross-section view of a motor and pump assembly situated in the bottom panel of the washing chamber of a dishwasher;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mounting gasket of the invention removed from the dishwasher;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the gasket taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the gasket taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts, a portion of the sloping bottom wall of the dishwasher is shown at 10. The bottom wall slopes downward as at 12 to define a central sump region 14 where waste materials are collected and from which water is recirculated to the spray arm 16 for further cleansing of the dishware situated thereabove. The bottom wall 10 is further shaped to define a depressed portion 17 which is approximately horizontal and which provides a region where mounting and sealing of the dishwasher drive components may be facilitated. A circular central opening 18 is defined in the bottom wall 10, adapted to receive the motor and pump assembly 20 of the dishwasher. Filter screens 22 are partially located in the sump region 14 for separating the waste matter from the water and are removably located in position in a manner well known in the art. A guide member 24 is also shown in the general area of the sump region 14 and aids in retaining the filter screens 22 in position and in defining a chamber for the sump region for directing the water flow. The motor 26, pump 28, spray arm 16, filter screens 22 and guide member 24, per se form no part of the present invention but are described as showing one embodiment of apparatus which might be utilized with the teachings of this invention.

The mounting configuration for the drive portion of this dishwasher including the motor and pump assembly 20 is one wherein the assembly 20 is set within the central opening 18 and rests on the lower depressed portion 17 of the bottom wall 10. The pump 28 consists of an upper housing 30 and a lower plate 32 which has a peripherally extending flange 34 for locating the pump 28 within the central opening 18 and for retaining the pump 28 in position. The motor 26 is located in position by the abutment of depending lugs 36 on the plate 32 and is retained in location by a plurality of bolts 38. Cooperation between the motor 26 and the pump 28 is effected by a drive coupling on the drive shafts as shown at 40. The upper housing 30 of the pump and the spray arm 16 are retained in location with respect to the lower plate 32 by means of a plurality of bolts 42.

Located between the underside of the flange 34 of the plate 32 and the surface of the depressed portion 17 of the lower wall 10 is the gasket 44 more clearly shown in plan and cross-sectional views in FIGS. 2-4. The gasket 44 is provided to seal the lower portion of the sump region 14 and to provide a resilient mount for the pump and motor assembly 20.

The gasket 44 is a fiat, thin ring preferably of rubber and generally of circular configuration having an upstanding rim 45 to provide a generally L-shaped crosssection as best seen in FIG. 3. Located around the circumference of the gasket 44 are a plurality of depending lugs 46 which are of the same material as the gasket 44 and which are integrally molded therewith. Although eight lugs 46 are shown in this embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that this is one preferred embodiment and the gasket could take other configurations wherein slightly altered shapes of the gasket 44 and lugs 46 or the number and spacing of the lugs 46 may be varied. 7 a

As seen in FIG. 3, showing an enlarged View of the cross-section of thegasket 44 taken through one of the lugs 46, the rim 45 of the gasket 44 consists of a flat upper surface 47 and an inwardly sloping surface 48 at an angle which generally conforms with the shape of the depressed portion 17 of the lower wall 10. The periphery of the gasket 44 in the area between the rim 45 and the base of the gasket 44 is formed with a radius 49 having three circumferentially extending ridges 50. The peripheral radius portion 49 of the gasket 44 is also adapted to mate with the depressed portion 17 of the lower wall and the ridges 50 are compressed against the depressed portion 17 when the gasket 44 is secured in place,-to enhance the sealing etfectiveness of the gasket and to prevent the escape of fluid from the sump region 14. Located on the upper surface of the base portion of the gasket 44 are two upstanding ridges 52 in concentric circles which are positioned to engage the lower side of the flange 34 of the pump plate 32. The ridges 52 will be compressed when the motor and pump assembly 20 is assembled in the dishwasher to aid in the sealing of the sump region 14. A rubber gasket is used in this embodiment of the invention and preferably the rim 45, the base of the gasket 44, the ridges 50, 52 and the lugs 46 are molded in a single unit. However, other resilient materials may be substituted and different means may be provided for enhancing the sealing effectiveness of the gasket 44.

The lugs 46 of the gasket 44 are adapted to fit within a plurality of holes 54 in the depressed portion 17 of the lower wall 10 and to depend below the depressed portion 17. Each lug 46 is of an oblong shape as are the mating holes 54 in the depressed portion 17 and the lugs 46 are of such dimensions as to be slidably inserted through the holes 54. Each lug 46 has a central bore 56 for slidably receiving the mounting screws 58 for retaining the motor and pump assembly 20 in position. Fasteners 60 are located at the lower surface of the lug 46 and are adapted to engage the mounting screws 58. In this embodiment of the invention the fasteners 60 are speed nuts which are molded into the rubber material comprising the gasket 44 such that the screw receiving opening 62 is in alignment with the bore 56 of the gasket 44. It will be appreciated that other types of fasteners may be used and may be retained in location in other ways, for example, by cementing the fastener on the lower surface of the lug 46. However, it will be understood that this is the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Thus, it will be seen that when the motor and pump assembly 20 is mounted to the wall section 12 of the dishwasher the bolts 58 will be passed through holes in the flange 34 of the pump plate 32 through the bore 56 of the gasket 44 to engage the fastener 60. Upon tightening of the mounting screws 58, the lugs 46 of the gasket 44 as well as the ridges 50 and 52 will be compressed and deformed as shown in FIG. 1 to'completely seal the holes 54 in the wall section 12 and the sump region 14. The deformed lugs 46 are expanded due to the tightening and engage the lower surface of the depressed portion 17 of the lower wall 10 to prevent the lugs 46 from being withdrawn from the apertures 54.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fastener 60 is formed in a generally oblong configuration from a flat piece of material to substantially conform to the shape of the lugs 46. In this manner, the fastener 60 may be passed through the apertures 54 in the depressed portion 17 along with the lugs 46 during assembly and still provide suflicient 4 area to cause adequate deformation of the lugs 46 when the assembly is secured.

It is also seen that the gasket 44 and the motor and pump assembly 20 may be located in position on the lower wall 10 entirely from within the enclosure of the dishwasher. Such mounting arrangement facilitates assembly of the drive portion of the dishwasher as well as eliminating any metal-to-metal contact of .the assembly 20 with the lower wall 10.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, changebeing made as regards the details described, provided the feature stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A vertical pump dishwasher, comprising a tub, a motor and pump assembly having a mounting flange thereon for supporting the assembly, the bottom of the tub having a central aperture therein for receiving said assembly and a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings about said central aperture, an annular gasket positioned between said bottom and said mounting flange for supporting said assembly and sealing the space between the flange and bottom, said gasket having a plurality of lugs depending therefrom through the openings of said bottom, and fastening means cooperating with said lugs for connecting the flange of said assembly with said annular gasket, said fastening means being operative to expand the lug portions below the bottom to dimensions greater than those of the openings of the latter and draw the flange, gasket and the tub bottom into a fixed sealing engagement.

2. A dishwasher as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tub bottom has a depressed portion adjacent the central aperture and said gasket is received within said depressed portion, said gasket further including an outer peripheral lip connected on a radius and having a plurality of circumferentially extending ridges on the radius which abut and compress against the depressed portion of said lower wall for sealing said assembly.

3. A dishwasher as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fastening means comprises a bolt and nut associated with each lug of said gasket, with each nut molded within each lug and being of a configuration substantially matching the cross section of the lug, so that the lug and nut may be inserted into an opening of said lower wall and the former expanded to overlie the opening.

4. A gasket for mounting motor drive means and the like, comprising a molded body of resiliently deformable material having an annular seating section, a continuous projecting rim about the outer margin of said seating section and having a substantially circular inner surface, and a plurality of lugs depending in circumferentially spaced relation from the side of said seating section opposite that of the projecting rim, said lugs being adapted for insertion through openings of a mounting structure, and a fastener molded within each said lug to receive an attaching screw, the threading of such screw into said fastener causing the lugs to be axially compressed and laterally expanded.

5. A gasket as set forth in claim 4 wherein each said lug is of an oblong configuration and each said fastener is of a similar configuration so that said lug and said fastener may be inserted through a matching opening and expanded to be secured in the opening upon tightening of said fastener.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,880,740 4/1959 Peglow 134-188 3,242,871 3/1966 Mercer 103 -21 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner. 

